We invite proposals for conference papers, performances and workshops examining darkness and its intersections with photography, exploring all facets including but not limited to: technology and the black box; the darkroom and laboratory; artificial darkness; dark skies and landscape; mining and minerals; archaeology, the subterranean or underground, technologies of vision; race and identity, including the politics of visibility and invisibility; psyche and wellbeing; the body, interiority and its shadow; architecture after Tanizaki; contemporary politics and totalitarianism; incarceration and punishment; technological limit and failure; blackouts; scientific imaging and black holes.
Darkness: A Photography Conference
Organised by the Photography programme of the School of Digital Arts, Manchester School of Art.
19-20 March 2026
Call for papers, performances and workshops: Deadline 12 December 2025
Please send paper abstracts (of a maximum of 300 words), performance proposals (of 200 words plus 2-3 images or 2 minutes of footage) and workshop proposals (200 words, 2-3 images and a list of materials or media requirements) to Duncan Wooldridge at d.wooldridge@mmu.ac.uk by 5pm, 12th December 2025
